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Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 23:16 Thursday 11th October 2018
by Julie
You may be interested in some video that I took at Padmore Street depot in 1985. Here is a link to it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41AkTsWkVpo&t=3s

It is a bit shaky and a bit grainy (a bit like me, really!) but it was taken over 30 years ago using a Sony SLF1 portable Betamax tape recorder.

I also took some video at Victoria Coach Station in the same year. Look out for 1006's sister at about 15mins and 40 seconds in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-IUNmOj3yE&t=948s

Enjoy!

Julie Aylward

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 11:16 Friday 12th October 2018
by ANDREW
Thanks for the links. Leylands Leylands everywhere at Padmore Street . . . . :)

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 18:56 Friday 12th October 2018
by AdamH
And no minibuses. That would all change by the end of the year!

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 19:33 Friday 12th October 2018
by MattW
Amazing how many services were operated by what I would class as coaches, not service buses. Mind you it was a long time ago - I was 5 :lol:

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 20:43 Friday 12th October 2018
by AdamH
MattW wrote:
19:33 Friday 12th October 2018
Amazing how many services were operated by what I would class as coaches, not service buses...
When I were a lad, a coach or two was regularly used on the 44 to Malvern. Imagine the uproar if we did that now... Where would all the pushchairs go? 🙄

Example photograph... and it was only taken 20-years ago! (feeling old)

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 21:10 Friday 12th October 2018
by MattW
Blimey. 20 years ago I was driving a Nissan Bluebird Turbo ZX :lol:

Funny isn't it, that seems so old and out of date (and look at the Astons coach in the background!), yet I followed Colwall Travel's 1995 Plaxton Premiere (ex Newbury Coaches) home today and that didn't seem old at all. I guess it's age and memory playing those old tricks.

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 23:33 Friday 12th October 2018
by Julie
MattW wrote:
19:33 Friday 12th October 2018
Amazing how many services were operated by what I would class as coaches, not service buses. Mind you it was a long time ago - I was 5 :lol:
Passengers used to like it when a DP turned up on a service. It was classy.....

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 20:23 Saturday 13th October 2018
by chason
Julie wrote:
23:33 Friday 12th October 2018
MattW wrote:
19:33 Friday 12th October 2018
Amazing how many services were operated by what I would class as coaches, not service buses. Mind you it was a long time ago - I was 5 :lol:
Passengers used to like it when a DP turned up on a service. It was classy.....
Yes it was. Mind you, I can remember in the 1950's, to cover a shortage of single deckers I imagine, some SLR prewar coaches being used on Malvern local services. With their steep steps, central manually operated sliding door and narrow gangway they were pretty unsuitable for that role but it went on for several months. Better than nothing I suppose.

A few years later when two S13 dual purpose vehicles (3931 and 3972) were allocated to MN they were mostly used on local services, in fact almost exclusively except for the occasional day trip or Sunday evening mystery trip when the MN coach was not available.

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 21:51 Saturday 13th October 2018
by DD12
chason wrote:
20:23 Saturday 13th October 2018
Julie wrote:
23:33 Friday 12th October 2018


Passengers used to like it when a DP turned up on a service. It was classy.....
Yes it was. Mind you, I can remember in the 1950's, to cover a shortage of single deckers I imagine, some SLR prewar coaches being used on Malvern local services. With their steep steps, central manually operated sliding door and narrow gangway they were pretty unsuitable for that role but it went on for several months. Better than nothing I suppose.

A few years later when two S13 dual purpose vehicles (3931 and 3972) were allocated to MN they were mostly used on local services, in fact almost exclusively except for the occasional day trip or Sunday evening mystery trip when the MN coach was not available.
Wow "chason", you've put some very interesting posts on here -- --
have you ever considered producing a small book covering your memories of Malvern and Midland Red (mainly) ??

(I'm sure Adam would let you reproduce some of the photos from this website !)

I started visiting Great Malvern when I was 5, and I've always felt that the Royal Mail depot in the centre should have been a Midland Red depot / station !

As for dual-purpose saloons, and the like, it was probably Xmas 1961, when I boarded a single-decker at the New Inn, Ombersley Road, Worcester, and headed-off to the pantomime at Malvern -- -- the front-interior door was slammed shut, so I thought I was in a luxurious vehicle !! ( - neither my dad nor most people in the street had a car yet but that was about to change BIG TIME, and just 12 years later I was an engineering apprentice and able to borrow a "small" amount off my dad to buy my own first car !! )

Re: Padmore Street in 1985

Posted: 09:39 Sunday 14th October 2018
by chason
That's very kind, DD12, but it would have to be one of the smallest books ever written! Sadly, in my late teens, my interest in buses waned somewhat in favour of railways and the last days of steam. Some years later my bus interest revived but not before all my bus memorabilia, timetables etc as well as my somewhat limited and poor quality photos had been disposed of, something I have since bitterly regretted as nowadays I can only rely on a memory with fairly random anecdotes.

As regards Gt Malvern, I hadn't thought of the Post Office sorting depot being used for bus purposes. It couldn't be more central but probably a bit small; I guess even smaller than the old MN Portland Road depot and that's saying something!

A final word on dual purpose saloons. My favourites of BMMO manufacture to travel in were the S15s but overall the Leyland LS18A's were even better (although the Midland Red purists might not like it!). I would often travel on the X91 to Hereford, Worcester, Evesham or Stratford just for the ride in one.